"The Prince and The Dressmaker" by Jen Wang

OVERVIEW:

The most beautiful thing about this book is there is no way to provide you with an accurate synopsis of the book without ruining some of the mystery and chaos that surrounds the two lead characters. Instead, I will give an overview instead of using the one attached to the book.

This is the story of a young dressmaker. Frances, who dreams of making dresses outside the norm of everyday Belgium fashion, finds herself drawn into a mystery right before the 16th birthday celebration of the Crown Prince. A mysterious client demands her to craft the perfect gown and is willing to help Francesidea

l the perfect dress. Will Frances be able to prepare the gown in time? Why does the Prince care so much about what she does? Will we ever know WHO the client is? Only time will tell.

WHAT I LOVED:

When I picked up this book, I intended to read it without looking at the description on the cover. I did this because the cover was so attractive that I did not care what the book was about. I was not disappointed. I highly recommend you do not read the synopsis of the book to enjoy the journey without potential spoilers.

Going into the story blindly allo

wed me to read into each panel and appreciate the intentional word selection and mystery that continued to be weaved in and out of the story over the first couple of pages. As I moved from page to page, new insight into the mystery arose. I was authentically shocked and happy for all the characters when the big reveal happened. Not only did Wang do an excellent job at developing the characters' relationships, she also kept the drama realistic.

With the story existing in Belgium during what seems to be the Victorian era, the two main characters challenge what it means to be human, including their roles in society. This was done to enhance the storyline without seeming forced or cliché. In addition, the artwork is breathtaking and almost seems alive at different points throughout the novel.

Wang approaches the mystery carefully without spending too much time on details that do not matter and pulls influences from Disney, high fashion, and social commentary. She carefully crafts characters with flaws that are believable and raw while allowing these flaws to be part of the story instead of tripping points for the reader.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

There were moments when the dialogue ran long, or the action built up and didn't go anywhere or fizzled out, but these were minor compared to the enjoyable parts listed above. The only thing about this book that I did not like was that it ended. Now, I'm not saying there should be a sequel, but it did feel as if the ending was there before the story was fully done being told.

OVERALL RATING:

4.5 out of 5

Purchase Information:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

McMillan